Richard Lewis

Richard Philip Lewis was born on June 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He went to Dwight Morrow High School and Ohio State University, graduating in 1969 with a degree in marketing and communications. Lewis wrote ad copy in New Jersey while also writing jokes for comedians such as 'Morty Gunty' (qv). He finally got the nerve to perform his own jokes in 1971 at New York's Improvisation and Pips.After appearing on _The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)_ (qv) in 1974, he continued to tour and hone his act with help from 'David Brenner' (qv) and 'Robert Klein' (qv). His film _Diary of a Young Comic (1979)_ (qv) aired in the _Saturday Night Live (1975)_ (qv) time-slot. His work on cable "I'm in Pain" for Showtime in 1988, _The I'm Exhausted Concert (1988)_ (qv) earned a nomination from American Comedy 'Awards' (qv) for Funniest Male Performer in a Television Special (for HBO); 'Richard Lewis' (qv): I'm Doomed (1990) (HBO) won him a second Ace Nomination for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special. His 'Richard Lewis' (qv): The Magical Misery Tour (1996) was filmed at New York's "Bottom Line" in December 1996. In December 1989, he performed to an SRO crowd at Carnegie Hall.::Janet Hoffmann/Robert Sieger